CANADA - Canada's Border Services Agency (CBSA) has reminded travellers of the restrictions on poultry products coming into Canada from the US following the avian influenza outbreaks earlier this year.

CANADA - The Canadian and British Columbian governments are to fund two initiatives worth up to C$1.58 million to help BC poultry producers re-establish their operations and mitigate the impact of future risks following an outbreak of notifiable avian influenza in the Fraser Valley this past winter.

CANADA - According to a report sent to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the Canadian Food Inspection Service has confirmed the H5N8 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus in a juvenile American wigeon (Anas americana; Anatidae) at Abbotsford in British Columbia on 6 February 2015.The bird was found as the result of enhanced surveillance in response to the event in poultry (H5N2) in the province of British Columbia in December 2014.

CANADA - In Follow-up Report No.2 to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), dated 28 April, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency confirms the third outbreak of H5N2 highly pathogenic avian influenza in the province of Ontario.It was on a farm at Bright. On 22 April, clinical signs were observed in a flock of 7,925 commercial turkey breeders; five birds died. Only one of the four barns on the farm was affected, where the birds were 45 weeks of age. The farm was in an already-existing control zone. The farm has been depopulated and is undergoing cleaning and disinfection.

CANADA - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has established a second Avian Influenza Control Zone in Ontario to control the movement of animals, products and equipment within the zone to minimise disease spread.

CANADA - Eight farms have been quarantined and Asian trade restrictions slapped on Ontario poultry and poultry products in the widening fallout of an outbreak of bird flu at a commercial turkey farm near Woodstock.

(aka bird flu, avian flu) is caused by a type of influenza virus that is hosted by birds, but may infect several species of mammals. It was first identified in Italy in the early 1900s and is now known to exist worldwide. A strain of the H5N1-type of avian influenza virus that emerged in 1997 has been identified as the most likely source of a future influenza pandemic.Strains of avian influenza virus may infect various types of animals, including birds, pigs, horses, seals, whales and humans. However, wild fowl act as natural asymptomatic carriers, spreading it to more susceptible domestic stocks.

Poultry Vaccination as a strategy for controlling AI in commercial birds

Outbreaks of avian influenza in the poultry industry cause devastating economic losses and is generally controlled through extensive culling of infected birds. Alternative strategies also use vaccination as a supplementary control measure during avian influenza outbreaks.

Avian Influenza (Fowl Plague) is a potentially devastating disease, predominantly of chickens and turkeys, although the virus can also affect game birds (pheasants, partridge and quail), ratites (ostrich and emu), psittacine and passerine birds.

Avian Influenza is caused by an orthomyxovirus, or influenza virus and can survive for considerable lengths of time outside of the host and birds are infected through contact with other birds, mechanical vectors such as vehicles and equipment and personnel travelling between farms, markets and abattoirs.

Precautionary requirements include cleaning and disinfection of premises and the establishment of a Biosecurity barrier to help prevent spread of disease is essential.